Friday Things

Ahhh fall!  Pumpkin everything, comfort food, the beautiful leaves, perfect running weather, and the COMMON COLD.  Blargh.  As I woke up with post nasal drip killing my throat and my head feeling like it weighs a thousand pounds, I was thinking, "OK just get through the morning routine and maybe call it in on the recumbent bike with a book today..."  And THEN I nearly squealed with glee at the thought, "Maybe I'll just put a movie on for baby girl and take a nap after hitting Starbucks!"  It's such a fundamental part of my day to go to the Y and work out or take baby girl to school, that I just never really think outside that box very often.  And, yes, that's a good thing; but, I am not feeling at all guilty about watching movies with the wee one this morning while big brother is at school.

Also, there is a pug in this picture - can you spot him?

 Oh, and how can I forget one of the BEST things about fall - the return football and The League!  Netflix finally has season three available on the instant queue.  So we've been spending our evenings getting caught up for season four, which started last night and is patiently waiting in our DVR.  If you have Netflix, do yourself a favor and get caught up, too, on one of the funniest tv shows EVER.

Source: http://www.fxnetworks.com/theleague

Bonus points that it's set in Chicago and there are a lot of great Midwestern/Chicago/Chicago 'burbs nuances to the stories. 

Speaking of recommendations (like my lame segues on random Friday?), I also recommend checking this info out (from Oiselle's Facebook page):

Oiselle Running: Chicago is a Marathon Major. As such, it is governed by the IAAF. There are IAAF (and USATF) rules, relating to elite competitors, that restrict logo size and placement on singlets. These restrictions were established via long-standing agreements and financial partnerships between the IAAF, USATF and the leading shoe companies. As such, the IAAF/USATF restricts "logo space" on singlets, so as protect the interest of its financial partners. Problem is, most runners, even elite, cannot achieve sponsorship from leading shoe companies. And without the ability to boldly promote another brand, smaller companies are hesitant. Bottom line: pro athletes and the smaller businesses that want to support them lose. Some more info here: http://www.letsrun.com/2011/logo-1202.php

OK, I'm going back to the mainstream top 40 cheese for today's addition to the playlist because I just plain adore this song and I could watch Usher dance for days:

Numb by Usher

We Are by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone (10/5/12)
Chorus by Erasure (9/28/12)
Cinema by Benny Benassi (9/21/12)
Take a Walk - Passion Pit (9/14/12)
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (9/7/12)
Space Invaders - Mark Norman (8/31/12)
Beautiful People - Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi (8/23/12)
Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes (8/23/12)
The Veldt - Cover Pop tribute to Deadmau5 & Chris James (8/23/12)
Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher (8/23/12)
Good Time - Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen (8/17/12)
Addiction - Medina (8/3/12)
We Run the Night - Havana Brown feat. Pitbull (7/27/12)
The Night Out - Martin Solveig (7/20/12)
Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells (7/13/12)
Sun is Up - Two Times (7/06/12)
Steam Machine - Daft Punk (6/29/12)
Arguru - Deadmau5 (6/22/12)
Now or Never - Outasight (6/15/12)
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns Remix (6/08/12)
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous remixed by Tiesto (5/18/12)
Call me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (4/6/12) 







One Word Wednesday - Outtakes

Yes, he can do the pledge of allegiance - but this video was funnier. 

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes

It's been awhile since I did any recipe sharing; I just realized I've talked about making pancakes every weekend, but haven't shared that recipe.  My kids aren't fans of anything being 'in' their food.  For example: raisins = good, oatmeal = good, oatmeal with raisins in it = bad.  Pancakes are no exception.  I'm a huge fan of banana pancakes, so I mashed 'em up into a basic recipe and the kids have no idea.  They love them so much that it's nice and quiet in the house while they're eating and I can actually sit and enjoy my Sunday coffee in relative peace.  I love this weekly ritual.

You can add the walnuts into the batter if you don't have kids/picky kids, or sprinkle them in to your own 'cakes as the first side is working on the griddle - that's what I do for mine, because I still haven't warmed them up to the idea of 'things' in the pancake.  I also double the recipe most weekends and cook up a bunch to freeze so that we can pop them in the microwave for an easy weekday breakfast.  If you're feeling extra fancy, try the vanilla maple glaze over at How Sweet It Is to top them off!

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes (makes about 10)

• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 mashed bananas (about a cup)
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk milk and egg. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in mashed bananas until just mixed. 

2. Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. (Adjust the temp as you go, if you're cooking a double batch, you might need to turn it down a bit.) Mist with cooking spray (or brush with melted butter) and drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls. Cook until underside is golden (usually when some bubbles start to form on top), 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until browned on other side, about 1 minute longer.

This Week's Eats

This weekend had to be, hands down, the most fun weekend I've had following Twitter with all of the great marathon stories from Portland, the Twin Cities, San Jose and, of course, Chicago.  I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be a 'one and done' kind of marathoner if I make it through Eugene next spring.  BUT... I can't help but think about going home one day to run the marathon.  Over the weekend, I was SO nostalgic for the days when I'd grab a latte, walk from my apartment over to boys town to hang with the best cheerleaders and watch the early miles where everyone is still feelin' good around mile 6 or so.  The commercials were all over the tv during my visit the weekend prior, and they definitely got me swept up in Chicago marathon fever. 

Speaking of Chicago (when aren't I, you ask?), I didn't really talk much about what I ate while I was in town.  It was hard to really take an eating tour, as my schedule was already packed and planned out for me.  I DID get myself a Vienna beef hot dog from Gold Coast Dogs: not as good as Portillos, but they were still a taste of home.  I ate a lovely dinner at Francesca's: a great Italian staple in Chicagoland.  And, I managed to finally try Xoco.  I tried the mushroom torta with goat cheese, black beans and arugula for a little something different.  It was delish, as was the guac and the bite of chicken torta I stole from my friend.  Hopefully on my next visit, I'll be able to hit up my favorite northside haunts... I will eat Pequods for pizza, Twisted Lizard for mexican and Cafe Ba Ba Reba again one day if it kills me.

• Monday - Pizza!
• Tuesday - spicy chicken and avocado enchiladas *
• Wednesday - angel hair pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes
• Thursday - Greek meatball salad
• Friday - Thai ground beef and brown rice
• Saturday - baked ziti with turkey sausage: my favorite recipe I got off the back of a Safeway box of ziti - layer the noodles, shredded mozzarella/provolone and jar sauce (sauteed with meat of your choice) like lasagna with the added secret ingredient of a little sour cream mixed in with the shredded cheese layer)
• Sunday - Chipotle chicken chowder

*If you're playing along from last week's eats, we pushed this one back because we decided to go out for mexican instead.

Friday Things

I was about to do my roundup of books I read in September yesterday and came to realize that I only read TWO.  I don't know how this happened...  My only explanation is that both were two of my least favorite of the year and I felt like I was kind of slogging through them.  I'll save my review for Ender's Game for next month, and I'll just link to the best 50 Shades reviews here for my review of the last book: Fifty Shades Freed.  The link above is for the first book, but they're all so funny (even if you never read, or don't ever plan to read, the books) and you can click on the link at the end to read each consecutive review.  They were fun, but I'm glad to be done and movin' on!

So, this happened on my long run today.



I went after getting an annual physical and didn't really think that my shots would be a problem.  Eeeeeek.  It was also a pretty crappy eight miles.   My leg/sciatic nerve pain is still somewhat present, but I wasn't feeling it as much because my quads were killing from yesterday's bootcamp class.  Isn't there something called the 'pain gate'?  That we can only feel one pain at a time?  Or something...?  Maybe I should go and break my finger before my next race...  No?  Plus it probably didn't help that I pretty much took a week off and didn't eat anything but a Z bar until just before my run because I had fast before my appointment...  Blargh.

Oh well, I have these in the oven and my house smells HEAVENLY.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins (source: www.cookincanuck.com)

 

And I have a fun new song (OF COURSE) to add to the playlist that popped up on my Pandora, that made my run (and my day) a little brighter.  Enjoy, and happy weekend!

We Are - by Jus Jack & Oza, featuring Aeone

Chorus by Erasure (9/28/12)
Cinema by Benny Benassi (9/21/12)
Take a Walk - Passion Pit (9/14/12)
Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (9/7/12)
Space Invaders - Mark Norman (8/31/12)
Beautiful People - Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi (8/23/12)
Ass Back Home - Gym Class Heroes (8/23/12)
The Veldt - Cover Pop tribute to Deadmau5 & Chris James (8/23/12)
Without You - David Guetta feat. Usher (8/23/12)
Good Time - Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen (8/17/12)
Addiction - Medina (8/3/12)
We Run the Night - Havana Brown feat. Pitbull (7/27/12)
The Night Out - Martin Solveig (7/20/12)
Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells (7/13/12)
Sun is Up - Two Times (7/06/12)
Steam Machine - Daft Punk (6/29/12)
Arguru - Deadmau5 (6/22/12)
Now or Never - Outasight (6/15/12)
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns Remix (6/08/12)
Young Blood - The Naked and Famous remixed by Tiesto (5/18/12)
Call me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (4/6/12) 

One word Wednesday - Slippers

Always fun to see the things daddy buys them while I'm away...

This Week's Eats - Hungover Edition

SO...  Long story short: going to my high school's 20 year reunion was a great decision and a wonderful experience all around.  I'll probably talk more about it later, when I'm not so tired.  Here's a favorite before/after picture, so that you can see what happens to a person in 20 years.  Hint: it's ALL GOOD, man.


Illini Sorority Rush September 1992

 

Reunion September 2012

I haven't closed down a bar at 3 AM in a looooooong time.  And then I had to get on a flight home the next day that didn't land until late at night.  Thankfully, my husband is ridiculously awesome and took Monday off (after already flying solo with the kids for four days) so that I could rest. 

I'm pretty darn proud of myself for getting the list together and shopping after putting in five (albeit slow) miles this morning.  Heck, I even made the meatloaf already.  Although, I did fall asleep on the couch by accident after the kids went to rest...  Here's this week's eats, for Tuesday onward.  And, yes, we ordered a pizza last night.

• Tuesday - meatloaf and roasted new potatoes (here's a recipe that's exactly like ours, from Food Lush)
• Wednesday - crab stuffed flounder filets from Trader Joes with wild rice and broccoli
• Thursday - spaghetti with ground turkey (pretty much the same sauce recipe as our arrabiata, but with ground turkey)
• Friday - spicy avocado and chicken enchiladas (yay, found leftover sauce in the freezer, making this a super easy meal)
• Saturday - chicken parmesan (tried and true Tyler Florence recipe)
• Sunday - chopped salads with chicken, romaine, diced tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, avocado, red onion, crispy prosciutto and homemade champagne vinaigrette.